HEUBC.CA – Advocating for Transparency & Accountability
- Barb Nederpel & Lynn Bueckert took a 28% Raise—Spent $470,401 of Member Dues on NDP Advertising. What will members get? 2%
Open Letter to all HEU Members RE: Framework Agreement
REJECT any deal under 8.5%, which is what BCGEU is asking
HEU’s framework agreement mirrors BCGEU’s, offering just 3.5% over two years. Yet BCGEU is demanding 8.5%. How Lynn Bueckert and Barb Nederpel can call this agreement “great news” is beyond comprehension.
HEU leadership is not only selling out HEU members, but also the BCGEU and other unions by going behind their backs and forcing them onto the picket line to “test the waters.” I believe HEU leadership will, under no circumstance, put this agreement to the membership until the BCGEU strike is over—waiting to see what they settle for—because of the outcry and disgust shown by HEU members when they learned from BCGEU (and not their own union) what the offer actually is.
I strongly suggest all members reject any deal under 8.5%, with a minimum of 4–5% in the first year. The compound effect of future wage increases depends on the base of that first year. When it comes to HEU bargaining, it always seems the government “has no money,” yet there is never a problem finding funds for BCNU or HSA.
Before bargaining even started, Lynn Bueckert, Secretary-Business Manager and head of the bargaining committee, received a 28% raise. Barb Nederpel, HEU President, and Betty Valenzuela, HEU Financial Secretary, received anywhere from 17% to 28%, depending on how you calculate it.
Meanwhile, last year the 250 HEU staff members (not members, but paid staff) received the following:
- April 1, 2024 – $1.00 per hour, plus 6.75% (retroactive to April 1, 2024)
- April 1, 2025 – 4.25%
- April 1, 2026 – 3.00%
All 250 employees and the leadership were exempt from the Public Health Orders, while 60,000 members were forced to get the COVID vaccine or face termination. These same HEU leaders did not take a single grievance to full arbitration. At the same time, while long-time members were being terminated, our union leadership was running a media campaign to support foreign health care workers.
At the end of the day, HEU stopped serving its members years ago and are now serving themselves. The only way to fix this is to become active in your local and bring in new blood—because if you look at the leadership, they have been around for decades with their noses in the trough.
Every HEU staff member also receives a $1,100 annual clothing allowance, which increases with CPI.
Staff Representatives receive full vehicle allowances, even though under the HESU contract they now work from home at least 50% of the time. This generous allowance covers both business and personal use, including:
- All gas expenses
- Full vehicle insurance (not just the business-use portion)
- Licensing costs
- A $55 monthly maintenance allowance (or $100/month for hybrid vehicles)
- $1,000 every three years for winter tires
All of this is in addition to their $70.32/hour wage, which is often justified as “comparable to other unions.” Yet HEU members remain among the lowest paid in the labour movement, and the community sector benefits are the worst in the healthcare system.
Now these same leaders will dispatch staff reps to covertly convince the membership that 3.5% “is not that bad,” considering the NDP government is $160 billion in debt and has supposedly “assured” Barb Nederpel and HEU leadership that members will be made whole in the next contract. When has the government ever been in good financial position? The NDP government has no plan to generate new revenue and continues to pillage the treasury. The deficit will only keep getting worse.
Here’s the truth: HEU spends $375,000 every two years on political action to keep the NDP in power, and even more beyond that. The HEU leadership is the NDP government:
- Barb Nederpel was a failed NDP candidate in 2017 and sat on the BC NDP Provincial Executive in 2022 (and may still be there).
- Bal Sandhu, on the HEU Provincial Executive, is married to NDP MLA Harwinder Sandhu.
- Jennifer Whiteside, the current Labour Minister, was HEU Secretary-Business Manager before being elected.
- Jessie Sunner, Minister of Post-Secondary Education, worked as a lawyer in the HEU legal department before being elected.
On top of this, HEU spent $470,401 of members’ funds on advertising last year to help the NDP get elected.
They are enriching themselves while telling you to settle for 3.5%—crumbs.
Please guide members to this site for updates. There you will also find resolutions and constitutional amendments we can put forward for next year’s convention. This is a work in progress.
Tearing Up a CBA in 2004 Was Wrong: Fix It, Don’t Bargain It
The framework agreement proposes some kind of deal for HEU members to recover, over several years, a portion of the 15% clawback imposed by the BC Liberals in 2004.
But here’s the real question: why is the 15% clawback from 2004 even part of current or future bargaining? That cut happened outside of bargaining. If it was imposed outside of bargaining, why can’t a labour-friendly government—one our union spends over $200,000 every year to support—simply restore it outside of bargaining? Governments don’t need to negotiate historical wrongs. They can just fix them.
It’s been 21 years since the 15% rollback. The majority of members impacted have either left, retired, or will be retired by the time they see any of that 15%. So how exactly is HEU leadership planning to make the members who were actually affected whole?
And let’s not forget: the NDP government, supported by this same HEU leadership, has had a majority since 2017. Why haven’t they fixed the 15% rollback? Why wasn’t it done on Day 1?
Meanwhile, the current government is $160 billion in debt today. Yet somehow we’re expected to believe that in a few years there will magically be money to share with us. The current NDP government has no vision or plan on how to get out of this financial mess in the first place. I’m no economic expert, but I don’t recall any government that projected itself out of debt and into surplus by simply promising it.
And then there’s the leadership. Barb Nederpel, Lynn Bueckert, and the rest of the HEU leadership are nothing but snake oil salesmen.
They believe they can convince 51% of members to accept this deal so they can continue draining the HEU treasury for their own benefit.
Exempted themselves from Public HeaLth Orders
HEU’s Leadership and 244 Staff were Exempt from Dr. Henry’s PUbliC Health orders
HEU President Barb Nederpel told an unvaccinated member: “The HEU policy is to support the immunization of all healthcare workers.” Yet she and the Provincial Executive—who are themselves healthcare workers—excluded themselves and all 244 staff members from the Public Health Orders. Meanwhile, 60,000 members were forced to either get vaccinated or face termination.HEU never took a single grievance to full arbitration.
HEU never advocated for lifting the PHOs, even when every other province had already done so. BC remained under PHOs 28 months longer than the rest of Canada, with PEI being the second last to lift theirs in March 2022.During this period, HEU prioritized advocacy for foreign healthcare workers while long-term members, who built the union, were being terminated. Member funds were used for a media campaign supporting foreign workers, but not a single campaign was launched to fight the PHOs.
HEU spent $470,401 on advertising to get the NDP elected—the same government responsible for the termination of HEU members.
HEU also conspired with other public sector unions and their NDP allies to prolong the PHOs, saving tens of millions for themselves while circulating money within their political circle. If the BC Liberals used duffel bags in casinos, the NDP used the blood of workers to achieve the same ends.I am unsure about BCNU and HSA, but this information has been confirmed by both former and current members of the HEU Provincial Executive.
- This is the very definition of hypocrisy.
Where Your Dues Go: Staff Vehicle Perks
$64,000 Question
Why are Staff Representatives still receiving full vehicle allowances when, under the HESU contract, they now work from home at least 50% of the time?
This generous allowance covers both business and personal use, including:
- All gas expenses
- Full vehicle insurance (not just the business-use portion)
- Licensing costs
- A $55 monthly maintenance allowance (or $100/month for hybrid vehicles)
- $1,000 every three years for winter tires
All of this is in addition to their $70.32/hour wage, which is often justified as "comparable to other unions." Yet HEU staff are among the lowest paid in the labour movement, and the community sector benefits are the worst in the healthcare system.
Let’s be honest: How many workers do you know who get paid to commute, and whose gas and insurance are fully covered even when they’re on vacation, sick leave, or any other kind of leave?
And while members wait for a whopping 0–1% raise from a “union-friendly” NDP government, HEU leadership spent $470,401 of members’ dues on political advertising to help that same government get re-elected last year.
The Not-So-HEU Ethical Commissioner’s Convenient Exit
It seems Ritu Mahil, HEU Ethics Commissioner, left her position after only 10 months of her 2-year contract. Ritu dragged on the investigation into Barb Nederpel – President, Bill McMullan – 1st Vice-President, Talitha Dekker – 2nd Vice-President, Bonnie Hammermeister – RVP Fraser Region, and other members of the Provincial Executive.
During the October 2024 HEU Convention, these individuals used a group chat to manipulate the election in real time and secure their own positions. The attached group texts—believed to have been created by Barb Nederpel herself—prove this.
Ritu Mahil, who was hired by the same individuals she was later asked to investigate, previously worked at an NDP-dominated law firm where Rachel Notley, former Premier of Alberta, also works.
That Ritu cleared all of them of wrongdoing is beyond imagination. I had already named her the Not-So-Ethical HEU Commissioner.
At the end of the day, there weren’t enough showers she could take to wipe away the yuck—or cleanse the soul—for doing the dirty work of HEU leadership.
The evidence is clear in the attached texts:
- Real-time vote manipulation: “President Barb Nederpel: Everyone must vote Jovito!” and “President Barb Nederpel: I tried to tell people to switch.” This happened during a live tie-breaker.
- Coordinated voting strategy: “We need to organize our team this round. Who do we vote for? All agree Ranjit and then send texts out to the group.”
- Awareness of wrongdoing: “Madame Pres is it allowed to tell somebody to vote for a certain candidate here while voting? Yesssssss.” Campaigning in the voting hall is strictly prohibited.
- Identity-politics manipulation: “Okay, for people who are messaging who to vote for, please let me know ethnic diversity.” Diversity was used as a political tool, not genuine equity.
- Acknowledgment of improper influence: “I’m with the other commenter about not appropriate for either Barb or Louella to interfere or influence regional elections due to their position.”
The chats also reveal racism and dangerous attitudes. Leadership used diversity as a checkbox for votes while ignoring real concerns about racism. In one exchange, Bill McMullan used foul language: “No to Maria. Ever.” Certi replied, “Maria got in already.” Bill responded, “F** me.”* Certi then added, “The racial game is up front.” Bill answered, “Of course it is.” To which Certi said, “I’m Filipino but I don’t believe in that shit.” This exchange involved Jovito Espinoza (Certi) – Disabilities DVP.
The Ethics Commissioner overseeing Vancouver City Council found that Ken Sim and his party breached ethics guidelines by using a group chat for city business. What happened at HEU was worse. Their group chat wasn’t just for back-channeling—it was used to tamper with elections while members were voting. That isn’t just unethical; it’s fraud.
Read the texts for yourself under the Election Tampering tab—don’t just take my word for it. The proof is in their own words: tampering, racism, and misconduct in the middle of voting. And yet, despite all this, Ritu Mahil signed off on a clean slate for the very people who appointed her.
HEU has not one but six equity groups, which have proven themselves to be useless when they can’t even educate the leadership.
Withdraw the Order of Canada for Dr. Bonnie Henry?
Not Before Accountability
The Issue
We, the undersigned, call on the advisory Council of the Order of Canada and the Governor General to withdraw the recent appointment of Dr. Bonnie Henry to the Order of Canada—at least until she provides a full and public explanation for her extended use of Public Health Orders in British Columbia.
Dr. Henry’s orders remained in place until July 2024, more than 28 months longer than any other province in Canada. The second-last to lift restrictions, Prince Edward Island, did so in March 2022.
This prolonged use of emergency powers has directly contributed to the BC healthcare crisis. Acute care hospitals are facing rolling shutdowns, and the province is suffering from a crippling shortage of healthcare workers. Dr. Henry’s policies led to:
The termination of thousands of trained healthcare professionals;
Early retirements, career exits, and mass departures from BC;
Deterring future students from entering the field;
Making BC a "no-go zone" for qualified healthcare workers from other provinces and countries.
The only stated purpose of the mandate was to “stop transmission of COVID.” But once science showed the vaccine does not stop transmission, every other province dropped their mandates and brought workers back. Dr. Henry did not. Why?
Despite repeated calls for explanation, Dr. Henry has not answered this fundamental question:What scientific evidence justified keeping BC’s Public Health Orders in place until 2024—long after the rest of Canada and the world had moved on?
Until that question is answered—by Dr. Henry or an independent inquiry—we ask that her appointment to the Order of Canada be withdrawn.
Canada’s highest civilian honour must reflect transparency, accountability, and public trust.
What You Can Do
1. Sign this petition to demand change and fairness.
2. Share this with your friends, family, and colleagues to spread awareness.
Proposed Constitutional Amendment #1
Election of HEU President by All Members
This is the most consequential constitutional amendment coming to the next HEU Convention — one that could change everything. I honestly can’t think of a single valid reason why any delegate wouldn’t support it… oh shit, I just thought of one: the current president, Barb Nederpel, who will have completed her 9th year with an iron fist by the next convention. I would ask the members to go one step further by adding that this amendment become effective immediately, and that the election of the President be delayed by 40 days to allow for a proper electronic vote to be conducted.
I keep bringing up HEU President Barb Nederpel because, of all the union leaders in BC, she is in the top four most responsible for keeping the Public Health Orders in place for four years. She sits on the BCNDP Provincial Executive Committee and directs more money to the BCNDP than all other unions combined. But of course — somehow — that’s not considered a conflict of interest.
Proposed Constitutional Amendment
Submitted by: [Insert Local Name]
Article: 6
Section: A
Subject: Election of HEU President by All Members
HEU Will:Amend the Constitution to change the process of electing the President of the Hospital Employees’ Union from a delegate-based vote at Convention to a direct vote by all members in good standing through a secure, accessible voting system.
Because:The President is the most senior elected officer in the Union, with a salary and total compensation package of approximately $250,000–$300,000 annually. It is undemocratic and inequitable that this position is elected by a small number of delegates at Convention, rather than the full membership who fund the position through union dues.
This current model creates a system where only approximately 1% of the membership decides who becomes President. A direct election would ensure all members have a voice in choosing their highest representative, and it would enhance engagement, transparency, and accountability.
Additionally, the current structure significantly favours the incumbent. The sitting President benefits from two years of fully paid travel, access to staff, and opportunities to visit Locals — which, while officially part of the job, also function as indirect campaigning. Challengers are limited to campaigning during the few days of Convention, which creates a significant imbalance and discourages participation.
There is also concern that internal political considerations may influence which members are selected as Convention delegates, and who receives access to key opportunities such as BCFED representation, CUPE National delegation, education, and special events. This further concentrates political power and discourages new leadership voices.
By moving to a system where all members can vote for the President, the Union would align with democratic principles and follow the example of the other two largest health care unions in British Columbia:
- The Health Sciences Association (HSA), which transitioned to a one-member, one-vote system under Article 9, Section 3 of its Constitution; and
- The BC Nurses’ Union (BCNU), whose Constitution (Article 5.01) provides for a province-wide vote of all members for the office of President every three years.
These unions have recognized that broad democratic participation strengthens legitimacy, improves accountability, and increases engagement among the membership. If HSA and BCNU members can elect their Presidents directly, there is no reason HEU members — who fund the largest public sector union in BC — should be denied the same right.
The new language would read:
Article 6 – Section A (Amended):
The President of the Hospital Employees’ Union shall be elected by a majority vote of all members in good standing, through a secure, accessible voting process administered by the Union.
The Union shall ensure equal access to campaigning and communication tools for all presidential candidates. Voting shall occur at least sixty (60) days prior to the start of Convention. The election shall be overseen by an independent elections officer, and results shall be certified and published to all members.
COMMITTEE
☐ Non-Concurrence ☐ Concurrence CONVENTION
☐ Non-Concurrence ☐ Concurrence
End Political Action — Fund the Members, Not the NDP
HEU Leadership: Serving Themselves, Not the Members
Barb Nederpel, President, sits on the executive of the NDP. Bal Sandhu, Provincial Executive member, is married to Harwinder Sandhu, an NDP MLA — a blatant conflict of interest. Meanwhile, HEU gives more money to the NDP than all other unions combined and receives the least in return.
The NDP will be giving HEU members the smallest raise of any union, while HEU leadership — Barb Nederpel, Lynn Bueckert, Secretary-Business Manager, and Betty Valenzuela, Financial Secretary — quietly gave themselves a 28% raise.
HEU leadership breached the HEU Constitution by exceeding the political action funding limit of $375,000, spending $470,401 on advertising alone to get the NDP re-elected in October 2024. It will be the members who pay the price when the NDP loses power — and I am working to ensure the opposition passes legislation to punish the leadership of all public sector unions for these abuses, not the members who trusted them.
I urge every member to call and send emails to the Provincial Executive demanding an immediate end to political action and a stop to the reckless waste of member funds. Those funds should be used for what unions are supposed to do: represent the workers who pay their salaries.
True leadership gets along with all, for the benefit of the membership — but Barb is only looking out for herself. When it comes to politics, there is no left or right — it’s just me, myself, and Irene… or in HEU’s case, Barbara.
These smiles aren’t for you
What you’re looking at is the face of a cartel — not a leadership team. These individuals aren’t here to represent HEU members. They’re here to funnel your dues into the NDP while pretending to care about “worker power.” Behind the scenes, they’re cutting deals, rewarding themselves, and suppressing dissent — all while members are offered crumbs at the bargaining table.
They laugh, pose for photos, and collect inflated salaries, while frontline workers are told there’s no money. Meanwhile, they quietly hand over hundreds of thousands in donations to their political friends — your money, without your consent.
This isn’t leadership. It’s a machine powered by misinformation and blind loyalty, where members are kept in the dark while the insiders cash in. It’s time we stop being sheep and start demanding real accountability.
HEU Membership Feedback
"I received a response through the website from a shop steward at a care home in Langley. She told me the members she represents have given up on HEU. Their staff rep lives in Harrison Hot Springs, is impossible to get a hold of, and insists on emails instead of phone calls. Every issue gets brushed off with the same line: “The employer has the right to manage."
Her excuse? She has too many job sites to cover."
"We have the same problem at RJH Victoria. I went to the last meeting via zoom and again they can't meet quorum Why? Because no one has Any Faith in our Union. They are Done with never getting any help. There's talk of walking away from the Union and joining another (if that's possible?) it's not good in Victoria and getting worse. "
SOLUTION:
It's time HEU stops wasting money on political action and starts using those resources to actually serve its members.
HEU Leadership’s Betrayal:
Union Corruption and Political Greed: The Real Cause of BC’s Health and Housing Crisis
Dear HEU Members,
Your friends at the Hospital Employees' Union (HEU) leadership spent $470,401 of union members’ dues—on advertising alone—to help elect the NDP government. Rather than accepting responsibility for their role in BC’s worsening healthcare crisis, they now hypocritically blame the federal government for changes to the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), pretending this is the root cause of the province’s health worker shortage.
This is a shameless insult to the thousands of long-serving health care workers who were terminated under your Public Health Orders — fired, blacklisted, and abandoned. These workers were denied reinstatement even after mandates were lifted, while HEU refused to take a single grievance to arbitration. Instead, HEU leadership protected the failures of Adrian Dix, Dr. Bonnie Henry, and Premier David Eby’s NDP government — utterly betraying their own membership.
The Hard Facts:
- As of March 2022, BC was the only province still enforcing vaccine mandates while the rest of Canada moved on.
- Rather than recalling experienced, terminated workers, the government imported foreign workers through the PNP, worsening staffing shortages and the housing crisis.
- British Columbians paid twice — first, with collapsed healthcare services; second, with skyrocketing rents driven by reckless immigration policy.
- In July 2024, the PHOs were quietly lifted — not for science, but because an election loomed in October. Had there been no election, mandates would likely still be in place today.
Now, after sacrificing their own members and deepening a housing crisis, HEU leadership has the gall to blame Ottawa? Spare us the hypocrisy.
HEU Leadership’s Real Priorities:
Politics, Personal Gain, and Abandonment of Workers
Rather than fighting for reinstatement or defending the rights of health care workers:
- HEU ignored grievances and abandoned terminated workers.
- HEU’s top executives, including Secretary-Business Manager Lynn Bueckert and President Barb Nederpel, quietly gave themselves 28% raises.
- HEU spent over half a million dollars on election advertising alone for the NDP — abandoning the members who paid their salaries.
The truth is, this isn’t about immigration policy. It’s about a failure of leadership — both at HEU and in the BC NDP government. Together, they chose political expediency over loyalty, transparency, and accountability.
British Columbians now suffer:
- Healthcare worker shortages from mass blacklisting.
- A deepening housing crisis directly fueled by poor policy decisions.
- Union leadership more focused on building political careers than defending the people they were elected to serve.
Premier Eby and HEU Leadership — you own this. No amount of finger-pointing at Ottawa will erase the trail of betrayal that starts with your government and its union allies.
Political Action Corruption:
How HEU Leaders Abused Members' Money
HEU’s so-called Political Education & Political Action Fund has been twisted into a personal slush fund for a few self-serving executives.
The HEU Constitution caps political spending at $375,000 over two years. Yet according to Elections BC, HEU spent $470,401.04 on advertising alone — breaching the constitutional limit by at least $95,401.04, not counting hidden costs like political committee salaries, meaning the real overspending likely exceeds $100,000–$200,000.
This is a direct violation of the HEU Constitution.
This is an abuse of trust.
Instead of using political funds to protect members — fighting anti-union legislation, defending health care, protecting workers — HEU leadership bet everything on one political party (NDP) despite the lessons of 2004, when political revenge devastated union members.
Why gamble with members’ futures? Why violate spending rules? Why prioritize political climbing over real advocacy?
HEU leadership’s reckless strategy and personal ambitions are clear:
- Barb Nederpel (President) is a former NDP candidate and an Executive Members of the BC NDP.
- Bal Sandhu, Provincial Executive member, is married to NDP MLA Harwinder Sandhu.
- Other executive members also hold NDP-affiliated roles, creating clear conflicts of interest.
Despite donating more money to the NDP than all other unions combined, HEU members receive fewer protections and benefits than members of other unions.
Call to Action:
Time for Real Accountability and Reform Members have the right — and the duty — to demand:
- Full disclosure of political spending at every convention.
- Immediate investigation into constitutional breaches under Article 19.
- An inquiry by the HEU Ethics Commissioner into conflicts of interest and financial misconduct.
- A leadership committed to representing all members, not serving personal political ambitions.
HEU was built to protect workers — not to serve as a political machine for the NDP.
British Columbians deserve better. HEU members deserve better. It’s time to take back our union, rebuild trust, and restore the fundamental purpose of worker representation.
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Unions belong to the members — not to leaders acting like it’s a family business. Stay strong. Demand accountability
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